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Iran-backed forces seize tanker, maritime sources say; Iran denies it
By Lisa Barrington and Jonathan Saul
Reuters
DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) -Iranian-backed forces are believed to have seized an oil tanker in the Gulf off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, three maritime security sources said, after Britain s maritime trade agency reported a potential hijack in the area on Tuesday.
Abolfazl Shekarchi, Iran s senior armed forces spokesman, denounced reports of maritime incidents and hijacking in the Gulf area as a kind of psychological warfare and setting the stage for new bouts of adventurism, the Fars News Agency said.
Two of the maritime sources identified the seized vessel as the Panama-flagged asphalt/bitumen tanker Asphalt Princess in an area in the Arabian Sea leading to the Strait of Hormuz, the conduit for about a fifth of the world s seaborne oil exports.
Iran-Backed Forces Seize Oil Tanker Off UAE Coast: Report Iran-Backed Forces Seize Oil Tanker Off UAE Coast: Report Iran, however, denounced reports of maritime incidents and hijacking in the Gulf area as a kind of psychological warfare and setting the stage for new bouts of adventurism, a report said.
Tensions have simmered in the region after an attack last week on an Israeli-managed tanker. (File)
Dubai/London:
Iranian-backed forces are believed to have seized an oil tanker in the Gulf off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, three maritime security sources said, after Britain s maritime trade agency reported a potential hijack in the area on Tuesday.
Suspected hijacking of oil tanker off the coast of UAE is now over, UK has said Boarders have left the vessel. Vessel is safe. Incident complete, a statement from Britain s maritime safety agency said, without elaborating
It was thought the ship, identified as tanker Asphalt Princess, had been boarded by armed men with links to Iran or one of its proxies
Iran denied involvement, and it is still not clear who raiders were or why they left
Wednesday, 04 August 2021 6:39 AM
[ Last Update: Wednesday, 04 August 2021 7:15 AM ] File photo of Asphalt Princess, the ship allegedly involved in a hijacking incident
The Iranian Armed Forces have denounced recent contradictory reports of maritime incidents and hijacking in the Sea of Oman as a Western “psychological warfare” meant to set the ground for new adventurism.
Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, spokesman of the Armed Forces, made the remarks on Tuesday, after Reuters claimed that “Iran-backed forces” were believed to have seized an oil tanker off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Citing maritime security sources, the report identified the seized vessel as the Panama-flagged asphalt/bitumen tanker Asphalt Princess.